Assassination of Tormod Mac Ruaraidh
Tormod Mac Ruaraidh the Governor General of the Ulach Free state was assassinated on Firday, August, 12 1948 at 2pm in Maghinh, the Moon Island along with his fiance Margret Nic Cailean. Tormod was riding in a convoy to his restored family home in Maghinh with Margret Nic Cailean in an armoured sports car which was part of a convoy which include four unarmoured cars with mounted machine guns each with five personal along with four motorbikes. The convoy was due to fighting in the area between goverment and rebel forces forced to go through a narrow valley. When the convoy had reached the middle of the valley where it was blocked from advancement due to a dead mule and an overturned cart. A platoon of rebels with a deployable heavy machine gun entrenched themselves behind the company whilst two more platoons positioned themsleves either side of the valley. The platoon with the machine gun placed dynamite in the road to blow up Tormod's armoured car. In the skirmish all but one of the motorbikers were killed whilst roughly twelve of the other free state soldiers were killed. Tormod's car went over dynamite causing its wheels to be destroyed and for it to be launched twelve feet in the air which fatally wounded Margret Nic Cailean and crippled Tormod who had his spine broken and had fourty five percent third degree burns on his body. Tormod was dragged from the car and then shot by one the rebel Major Aoisghe Mac Taggart. Background Tormod Mac Ruaraidh was Governor General of the Ulach Free State from 1938 to 1942. The Ulach Free state existed intially as a military dictatorship under Tormod who was violently opposed by rebel groups whom are also opposed the Ulach-Mirkuleon peace treaty. Tormod after defeating the rebels during the first stage of the Ulach Civil War gave up power in favour for the Ulach Parliament. Tormod's younger brother Ian Mac Ruaraidh was elected as Prime Minster in 1946 however his decision to support the Eastern Mirkuleon Empire in 1947 during the Imperial Schism meant that he was overthrown by rebels led by Paitric Mac Uagh. Paitric Mac Uagh declared war upon the Eastern Mirkuleon Empire which was in the process of moving the majority of its military into the western hemisphere to fight the Western Empire. The Ulach invasion of the Sun Island failed however it resulted in heavy Mirkuleon casaulites. Ian himself fled to New Donber and refused to return to the Twin Islands. Hazarahaz Cheiftain of the Sun Island gave Tormod an army of Agomoton Mercenaries to stage coup against the rebel goverment. Tormod's coup led to him becoming Governor General for a second time in 1947 in which in just under a year he had tens of thousands of suspected rebels executed along with their families some of whom were even sold into slavery. Assassination Plan Tormod's security advisor Danny Mac Calum was a supporter of the rebels and informed the local rebel of company commanded by Aoisghe Mac Taggart of Tormod's journey to Maghine. Taggart created a detailed plan to trap the Tormod's convoy and to kill him along with as many as those accompanying him. The valley was roughly twelve miles long and so Taggart had dead mule and an on over turned cart several miles into the valley. Two Platoons of Ulach soldiers which had twenty soldiers each which would lay in wait on both sides of the valley, whilst the thirty three man platoon with the machine gun which he commanded would be deployed when it was no longer in the sight of the convoy. The convoy would go back the way it came and so then the machine gun crew would then eliminate the remaining convoy leading leaving no survivors. The Skirmish The conyoy drove down Uisge valley until at roughly 12:48 am it was prevented from advancing due to the over turned cart and the dead mule. One of the Front Motorcycle troops Private Wilfrad Mac Intyre dismounted to inspect the cart however he was shot by a rebel soldier. The rebels who were encamped upon the two hills then started to fire at the convoy. The convoy's four cars with mounted machine gun fired upon the rebels. The convoy was able to use superior fire power however its soldiers had difficulty aiming at the rebels due to the rebel's position upon the hill. The rebels during this first stage of the skirmish lost six soldiers whilst the convoy lost five soldiers which included the other motorcycle soldier and four soldiers of one of the armed cars. The convoy retreated back the way it came at 1:30 after almost an hour of fighting however as it retreated its vehicles were forced to reverse as there was no room for them to turn back which meant that they could not manauver properly with exception for the motorcycles. The Motorcycle troops drove first towards the Aoisghe's platoon, one of them Ian Mac Campbell was killed by machine gun fire and the other Seibhan Mac Feachad was crippled from his injuries. The convoy cars were at a disadvantage as their rears were fairly exposed and their machine guns could not swivel 360 degrees and thus the car at the very rear is forced to turn almost 180 degrees to fire upon the rebels, however as it positioned itself its machine gun had already been killed. The car's driver Corporal Lucas Mac Neacal drove straight into the rebel platoon killing himself and six rebels. Aoisghe ordered his soldiers to push the car so that it would be facing foward, he then ordered for them to use its mounted machine gun along with their own machine gun. The second car in the convoy came next to attack the rebels however it was able to turn itself around due to there being a wider gap in the valley. The machine gunner of the car was able to kill twelve rebels however it was destroyed by a grenade thrown by a rebel soldier. Tormod's car driven by his chauffeur at the time Mungan Mac Iomhair was able to push past the destroyed remains of the car in front. As Tormod's car went over the dynamite,Aoisghe triggered it sending Tormod's car roughly several feet in the air. The impact of the explosion and the fall killed Mac Iomhair, Margret and Horas Mac Donald who was riding shotgun and severly wounded Tormod. Upon seeing the explosion Tormod was persumed to be dead by his soldiers surrended to the rebels throwing down their rifles. Tormod opened the car door with his revolver readied in great pain with his spine shattered he could not stand. Using the car door as cover Tormod fired upon the rebels killing two of them before collapsing and dropping his gun due to his fatigue. Aoisghe pulled Tormod from his car and shot him in the head. The surviving free state soldiers were taken prisoner and sent to Uaghnach castle. Aftermath Bodies of the dead The bodies of Tormod and Margret along with the Free State soldiers were buried in a near by bog whilst the rebel dead were taken back to the Uaghnach castle along with the Free state prisoners. These dead were stored in the castle's dungeons until the rebels took over Tionsach where they were buried in the Mausoleum of the Martyers later on in 1948.